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School of Art & Design students take over Q.arma with juried ‘Fieldwork’ exhibition

goersab — Wed, 16 Sep 2026 13:50:00 +0000

School of Art & Design students take over Q.arma with juried ‘Fieldwork’ exhibition goersab September 16, 2026

Fine arts students display nearly 60 contemporary works in three-story exhibition in Minneapolis

Cradled in straps of pale linen, supported by a copper-piping frame, rests a foot-long double-headed spoon, forged and fastened to the lower portion of a white-tailed deer leg and hoof. Around the corner, adhered to the gallery wall, are rune-like letterings created with tape – shapes that seem so familiar, yet so alien. And the posterior view of a skeleton painted with bleach is stretched across richly textured mauve fabric near the slumped figure of a soft, headless man-like 3D creature.

For two weeks this summer, 46 emerging artists in �� Polytechnic ��. School of Art & Design took over three floors of the Q.arma Building in Minneapolis for “Fieldwork,” a curated exhibition featuring 57 works of art spanning painting, drawing, sculpture, printmaking, comics, photography, ceramics and metals.

Travis Bennett's 'Untitled (Dining Object No. 1)'

“The top-to-bottom ‘Fieldwork’ exhibit at Q.arma was a unique opportunity for our students to come together,” said Senior Lecturer Darren Tesar, program director of B.F.A. studio art and B.S. arts administration and entrepreneurship. “It showed that our studio art program and the School of Art & Design is a leading institution of contemporary art. We are not bound by dogma or tradition. It ��. important for people to see our students’ full range and complexity.”

Selected works from “Fieldwork” will be on display through October at the university ��. Library Art Lab, on the first floor of the Robert S. Swanson Library & Learning Center.

Engaging in every aspect of an exhibition

Alongside faculty, recent B.F.A. studio art graduates Ashley Hannasch and Xander McFaul helped install “Fieldwork.” They thought the Q.arma experience was a unique opportunity to engage in every aspect of an exhibition in a setting outside of the university – from transportation to curating to installation and final gallery preparations.

McFaul, of St. Paul, whose pieces in the show were “Pink, Pink, Pink, Pink, Pink Moon” and “This Is Our Last Song,” said, “This is significant on my resume and opens the door to more Twin Cities opportunities in my future. I encourage students to apply to as many of these opportunities as possible, as well as start curating their own shows in their own spaces and communities.”

A detail of Xander McFaul's 'Pink, Pink, Pink, Pink, Pink Moon'

Hannasch, of Lakeville, Minnesota, agreed. “Working alongside faculty and students strengthened my confidence in exhibition planning and gave me a deeper understanding of the collaborative nature of working in a gallery,” she said. “I encourage current students to seek opportunities both within and beyond the university, trust their instincts, and build relationships with fellow artists.”

Hannasch, whose exhibit piece was “Spineless,” noted, “I believe artists grow strongest when we communicate, collaborate and support one another as a community.”

Ashley Hannasch's 'Spineless,' bleach on fabric

Two current students, Travis Bennett and Cora Kauffman, think “Fieldwork” was a great opportunity to showcase their work to a bigger audience outside of campus.

“It helped me understand how my work exists within a larger gallery space and gave me more experience for future exhibitions,” said Bennett, a fashion design and development and studio art major, concentrating in metals and contemporary art jewelry.

Bennett, of Hager City, creates artwork with a Midwestern-Gothic flair, inspired by his material-based investigation of the relationship between the body, animals and objects of utility. His piece in “Fieldwork” was titled “Untitled (Dining Object No. 1).”

“Growing up in the rural Midwest has influenced my work a lot. I thought about the way we harvest our food, and I wanted to transform a deer's foot, something that is a byproduct of hunting, into a utensil and case that feels both functional and uncomfortable,” he said.

Cora Kauffman's 'Before you even know it,' packing tape

Kauffman is inspired by forms of language. “After my semester abroad in Japan, I knew I had to continue this line of work. I thought about the forms present in the written Japanese language and how to create something that invokes these forms while remaining as ephemeral as spoken language is,” she said. Her “Fieldwork” piece, “Before you even know it,” consisted of several site-specific installations of rune-like letters.

Kauffman, a studio art major from Chippewa Falls, was awarded a solo thesis show at the university ��. Gallery 209 this fall. “This experience was a great opportunity for me to learn how an exhibition is organized and installed. I was also able to learn how to manage my time as I installed my piece in the gallery,” she said.

Ella Borchert's 'Soft Male Figure,' soft sculpture

Collaborations to create trajectory

“Fieldwork” emphasized the university ��. commitment to preparing students for professional careers in the arts, highlighting the making, collaboration, curation, installation and professional practices that shape contemporary artists.

The exhibit included a juried collection by intermediate and advanced studio art courses, an independently organized exhibit by the student-run Fine Arts Association, and a series of pop-up presentations and sales by the Print Club, Comix Club, Metals Guild and more.

Sabrina Hagberg's 'Shards of My Reflection,' oil on wood

Tesar and Professor Alex DeArmond knew Q.arma had a history of exhibiting emerging artists’ works. “Owner Jono Query has a passion for providing art spaces to students, knowing how difficult opportunities can be after graduation. We wanted to create a connection. Studio art seemed to be the best vehicle for an exhibit,” Tesar said. “If we’re going to show our strength as part of the university, we need to show our work professionally in spaces like Q.arma. We need to provide access and opportunities outside of our campus for our students and create a trajectory for them for after graduation.”

Ashley Hannasch's 'Spineless,' bleach on fabric; and Bryan Irish's 'Clothesline,' condoms, found objects, clothesline, clothespins

After the exhibition, which was held June 6-21, Tesar and other faculty realized how much students want more external professional, collaborative and entrepreneurial experiences.

“There ��. only so much that an in-class curriculum can do. The experience allowed us to fill a gap that we can’t provide in the classroom – for the students to see how art plays out across a wide range of organizational models. The collaboration between Stout and Q.arma provided access for students to see and act with economy and culture in the private sector,” Tesar said.

“Every single student could put on an exhibition. Younger students need to learn that they can’t just follow; they have to create these opportunities for themselves as well. And we need to help them recognize it takes a collection of people to make these possibilities happen,” they said. “Creating the experiences gives students that confidence – it gives them the know-how. They become aware of the nuance and simplicity of making things happen professionally.”

Meghan LeMay's 'Bouquet Twisters,' leather, PVA size liquid sealant, oil paint, wood

�� Polytechnic ��. School of Art and Design, one of the largest public art schools in the Midwest, offers bachelor ��. degrees in animation and digital media; game design and development-art; graphic design and interactive media; illustration; industrial and product design; interior design; studio art; arts administration and entrepreneurship; fashion design and development; and video production, and an M.F.A. in design.

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Fine arts students display nearly 60 contemporary works in three-story exhibition in Minneapolis Q.arma, Xander McFaul, Pink, Pink, Pink, Pink, Pink Moon

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Hero Caption: Recent studio art graduate Xander McFaul displayed 'Pink, Pink, Pink, Pink, Pink Moon' at the 'Fieldwork' exhibition at Q.arma.

Darren Tesar

Darren Tesar ��. activity—visual, curatorial and textual—can be understood as simply as a prolonged proximity maintained between entities, materials and/or processes. Prolonged proximities that produce a kind of pidgin—a grammatically simplified means of communication that develops between two or more groups that do not have a language in common. The result is a production and maintenance of signs that are doubly non-native, meaning the author and object/subject are both made into partial objects.

This notion of partial plays off all three of its possible meanings, namely having a particular liking or fondness for something or someone, that, by nature of its sentimentality (a form of bias or prejudice), relates to being or affectation only in part, not total; incomplete.

Notable activities include: phantoms (1996), MnArtists, Minneapolis, MN, USA, 2024; CLING RING, MirrorLab, Minneapolis, MN, USA, 2022; _storation of limbs, MnArtists, Minneapolis, MN, USA, 2021; NCAF Development Grant, Taipei, Taiwan, 2020; Yoke Anima, Seohak Gallery, Jeonju, South Korea, 2019; Curator: unsupportive, N/A Gallery, Seoul, South Korea, 2019: VAF Fund, Midway Contemporary Art, Minneapolis, MN, USA, 2018; Guest Curator (with Wen Li Chen): he’ (FOGSTAND Gallery) Taiwan Academy, New York, NY, USA 2018; Rough Sleeper, Sadie Halie Projects, Minneapolis, MN, USA 2018; bar-mouthing, Sadie Halie Projects, Minneapolis, MN, USA, 2106; bar-mouthing, (Exhibition text, They Rephrased the Question for Another Answer: Chun Kaifeng), Fost Gallery, Singapore, 2016; fromming (Exhibition text for Death is the mother of beauty: Charles Matson Lume), New York Mills Regional Cultural Center, New York Mills, MN, 2015; Refining Commitment, Serpentine Magazine, USA & DE, 2015; Guest Curator: Absolving the Object: Kaifeng Chun, Richard Frater, Song-yun Kim, Latent Spaces, Singapore, 2015; Time after Time, Market Gallery, Glasgow, UK, 2014; Nameless Forms, Latent Spaces, Singapore, 2014; Refining Commitment, XMS Gallery, Taipei, Taiwan, 2013; Reverential, published for the exhibition, Della Liquidezza Della Terra, Milan, Italy, 2013; Resident Artist at Seoul Art Space_Geumcheon, Seoul, South Korea 2013

Full Name: Darren Tesar

Job Title: Senior Lecturer / Program Director

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Area of Expertise: Contemporary Sculptural Practices & Environmental Aesthetics

College: College of Arts & Human Sciences

Department: School of Art & Design Visual & Performing Arts Department

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B.S. Arts Administration & Entrepreneurship

Curriculum Vitae: Darren Tesar CV (217.26 KB)

Website: Personal Website YouTube Channel

Education:

Degree: M.F.A.

University: Glasgow School of Art

Degree: B.F.A.

University: University of Wisconsin-Stout

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Designed to the Max: Studio art major wins Wisconsin State Park sticker design contest

goersab — Tue, 09 Dec 2025 14:00:00 +0000

Designed to the Max: Studio art major wins Wisconsin State Park sticker design contestgoersab December 9, 2025

Logterman ��. design inspired by adventures with family dog

Abbey Goers

With a design inspired by her adventures with her black lab, Max, �� studio art major Jaelyn Logterman won the 2026 Wisconsin State Park and Forest vehicle admission pass design contest, recently announced by the state ��. Department of Natural Resources.

“It is a privilege to know that my artwork will be displayed on a great deal of vehicles across Wisconsin,” Logterman said. More than half a million vehicles, to be precise. In 2023, a record-setting year, 518,846 Wisconsin state park stickers were sold. Wisconsin state parks, forests, trails and recreation areas receive more than 20 million visits a year.

Jaelyn Logterman with her dog, Max / Jaelyn Logterman

“Max has come along on every family trip. As a family, we enjoy visiting surrounding rivers, lakes and parks,” she said. “Chasing Max around throughout his adventures has helped keep my feet wet throughout my childhood.”

With more than 15,000 lakes, 43,000 miles of rivers and scenic Great Lakes shorelines, Wisconsin offers plenty of opportunities for watery adventures.

Logterman grew up near scenic Lake Geneva, in southern Wisconsin. It was the natural beauty around Menomonie that drew her to ��, as well as its School of Art & Design, one of the largest public art schools in the Midwest.

“What I like most about the studio art program at �� is the range of different course options, the hands-on experiences and the accommodating professors,” she said.

Max explores a lakeshore / Jaelyn Logterman

The DNR-sponsored design contest is open to Wisconsin high school-age students. Logterman entered the 2026 contest last spring through a graphic design class as a senior at Delavan-Darien High School. The annual contest, now in its 35th year, received more than 150 submissions for the 2026 vehicle pass design.

In 2025, the Wisconsin State Park System, with more than 60 state parks, forests and recreation areas, celebrated its 125th anniversary.

�� . School of Art & Design offers bachelor ��. degrees in animation and digital media; game design and development-art; graphic design and interactive media; illustration; industrial and product design; interior design; studio art; arts administration and entrepreneurship; fashion design and development; and video production, and an M.F.A. in design. �� also has a new program in game and media studies.

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Fine arts students display nearly 60 contemporary works in three-story exhibition in Minneapolis

Designed to the Max: Studio art major wins Wisconsin State Park sticker design contest

Logterman ��. design inspired by adventures with family dog

Sabbatical recap: Charles Matson Lume, Studio Art, 2024-25

Celebrating a shared commitment and love of making art within community

Logterman ��. design inspired by adventures with family dog Jaelyn Logterman's design

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Sabbatical recap: Charles Matson Lume, Studio Art, 2024-25

goersab — Tue, 16 Sep 2025 13:30:00 +0000

Sabbatical recap: Charles Matson Lume, Studio Art, 2024-25goersab September 16, 2025

Celebrating a shared commitment and love of making art within community

Abbey Goers

As Wisconsin ��. ��, �� emphasizes lifelong applied learning for its students and faculty alike, including promoting excellence in teaching and research through sabbaticals.

Sabbaticals enable recipients to engage in intensive study to become more effective teachers and scholars and to enhance their services to the university.

During his 2024-25 sabbatical, studio art Professor Charles Matson Lume held solo exhibitions and artist talks across the country. Through a 2025 Minnesota State Arts Board Creative Individual grant, Matson Lume collaborated with three artists: �� alums Darren Tesar (’08), Galilee Peaches (’18), and Beck Slack (’21) to publish “at the fountain, at the fountain,” a free artists' book that features their art and texts.

Two book launches will be held this fall:

Saturday, Oct. 4, 2 to 5 p.m.: FOGSTAND Gallery & Studio, in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Thursday, Nov. 6, 4 to 5:30 p.m.: North Shore Readers and Writers Festival at the Grand Marais Art Colony, Grand Marais, Minnesota.

Professor Charles Matson Lume collaborated with three artists to create 'at the fountain, at the fountain,' a free artists' book / Charles Matson Lume

As a visual artist, one of the mediums that Matson Lume uses is light. His investigation into light started with painting. Like Giorgio Morandi, an Italian painter and printmaker of the early- to mid-1900s, Matson Lume noticed the objects he painted could speak.

“Their ‘thingliness’ and sense of light liberated something ineffable and true,” he said. “Over time, I realized each thing had its own image — its shadow. I didn’t need to paint the thing; it had its own painting it carried around with it.”

Matson Lume began to experiment with the “object/image relationship.” By using translucent and semi-translucent objects, such as plastic sheeting or fabric, illuminated under the right conditions, he created shadows that became more present than the objects themselves.

Professor Charles Matson Lume uses light to show an object's image and shadow / Charles Matson Lume

“A major shift happened in 2008 when I began to place objects on the floor and had their image arise via light ��. reflection or refraction,” said Matson Lume, who has been teaching studio art at �� since 2001. “Another fulcrum of my art is poetry. I not only read it to my students at the beginning of every class, but use it to find ways to release something unknown or distinct in my art.”

‘lacuna (for Gustaf Sobin)’

Matson Lume's solo exhibitions during his sabbatical included two showings of “lacuna (for Gustaf Sobin)” at the Minneapolis Institute of Art; and at the Jack Olson Gallery in the School of Art & Design, at Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Illinois, where he also held an artist talk entitled “that which you fear.”

The installation for “lacuna (for Gustaf Sobin)” was based on using light, poetry, beauty and mortality to engage in the common and uncommon, Matson Lume said in his artist ��. statement. It was dedicated to Sobin, a poet and a mentor to the artist.

“The exhibit invited viewers to reflect on the interplay of presence and absence, the ephemeral nature of light, and the poetic resonance of space,” he said. With his art, he tries to give people the space to feel like themselves and to feel their senses and the world again.

'lacuna (for Gustaf Sobin)' at the Minneapolis Institute of Art / Charles Matson Lume

He held a second artist talk, “Flowers Before Bread,” at Bloedel Reserve, in Bainbridge Island, Washington, where he was artist-in-residence, as well as at Grand Marais Art Colony, in Grand Marais, Minnesota.

He is the recipient of the international 2025 Pollock-Krasner Foundation grant and the 2025-26 McKnight Visual Artist Fellowship, a major regional art award.

View the Minneapolis Institute of Art ��. YouTube video capturing the exhibit.

Bringing images and texts together

Working on “at the fountain, at the fountain” for nearly a year brought Matson Lume, Tesar (who also serves as program director of �� . studio art and arts administration and entrepreneurship programs), Peaches, and Slack together and challenged their ideas and beliefs. A group exhibition will be held at FOGSTAND in spring 2026 to celebrate their shared commitment and love of making art within community.

Professor Charles Matson Lume begins each of his studio art classes by reading a selection of poetry

“While Darren and I live in St. Paul, Peaches lives in Brooklyn, New York, and Beck lives in Glasgow, Scotland. It ��. truly an international collaboration,” Matson Lume said. “Although I have made four artist books over the last decade, I have never made one with three visual artists, let alone with three former students. I am very excited about this collaboration and believe it will provide future vitality for all.”

Though their images and texts vary widely, they are held together through mutual conceptual and formal considerations.

“It is an honor to see their artistic maturation flourish. As much as I have helped to shape my former students’ artistic sensibilities, I look forward to how their art and ideas will recalibrate mine. I am inspired by their insights, wit and poetic sensibilities. I love working with them,” Matson Lume said.

�� . School of Art and Design, one of the largest public art schools in the Midwest, offers bachelor ��. degrees in animation and digital media; game design and development-art; graphic design and interactive media; illustration; industrial and product design; interior design; studio art; arts administration and entrepreneurship; fashion design and development; and video production, as well as an M.F.A. in design.

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Celebrating a shared commitment and love of making art within community Charles Matson Lume sabbatical story

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Hero Caption: A detail of Professor Charles Matson Lume's art installation 'lacuna (for Gustaf Sobin)' at the Minneapolis Institute of Art.

Charles Lume

Full Name: Charles Lume

Job Title: Professor of Art

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Area of Expertise: Art Painting Drawing Installation Art Professional Practices

College: College of Arts & Human Sciences

Department: School of Art & Design Visual & Performing Arts Department

Curriculum Vitae: Charles Lume CV (274.45 KB)

Education:

Degree: M.F.A. Painting/Drawing

University: University of Wisconsin- Madison

Degree: M.A. Painting/Drawing

University: University of Wisconsin- Madison

Degree: B.A. Psychology

University: Wheaton College

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Trailblazer Alumni Award: Leslie Barlow (’11)

goersab — Wed, 27 Aug 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Trailblazer Alumni Award: Leslie Barlow (’11)goersab August 27, 2025

'The arts aren’t just about aesthetics — they’re a tool for communication, reflection and change.'

Leslie Barlow (’11) received the Trailblazer Alumni Award as a testament to her outstanding achievements and contributions to her field and community, as well as the mentorship and development of fellow artists.

Barlow is a visual artist, educator and cultural worker from Minneapolis. She is an assistant professor of drawing and painting at University of Minnesota and is represented by Bockley Gallery.

Barlow believes art and art making are both healing and liberating, through the power of representation, witnessing and storytelling. Her life-sized oil paintings are inspired by community and personal experiences and often serve as both monuments to community members and explorations into how race entangles the intimate sphere of love, family and friendship.

Barlow was awarded the 2025 and 2019 McKnight Visual Artist Fellowship, the 2021-23 Jerome Hill Fellowship, the 20/20 Springboard Fellowship and five Minnesota State Arts Board grants. Her work has been published in art journals and is exhibited in collections throughout the Twin Cities.

“Leslie thrives as a visual artist and agent of change,” said nominator Ali Riehle (’11). “She is a trailblazer in every sense: a bold, visionary artist; a mentor and educator; and a builder of community. Leslie pours energy into uplifting others and building community.”

Barlow is the founder of PF Studios, an emerging artist studio program based in the Northrup King Building. Part of the nonprofit Public Functionary, the program supports early career artists who identify as Black, Indigenous, people of color, queer, trans and gender fluid. The program provides studio space, mentorship and a creative home for more than 25 resident artists. Public Functionary includes galleries, performance venues, and event programming – all of which reflect Barlow ��. values of inclusion, creativity and care.

During the pandemic, she helped launch Creatives After Curfew, a collective that mobilized artists to cover Minneapolis with murals and public art following the uprising for racial justice.

In 2021, she debuted a new series of 16 portraits and corresponding documentary videos at the Minneapolis Institute of Art, entitled Within, Between, and Beyond. Her solo exhibition invited viewers to hold space for, recognize and reconsider presumptions about race in Minnesota. The following year, she was selected to create the official 2022 Minnesota State Fair commemorative poster – a beautiful, vibrant depiction of Black joy, featuring a group of friends enjoying fair food and carnival games.

In 2023, Barlow founded and produced ConFluence, an annual art and science fiction convention centering on BIPOC voices and content and which celebrates creative nerd culture and speculative futures. This fall, ConFluence 2025 will be held on Oct. 18-19. Barlow is making her illustrator debut in the children's book “Revolutions are Made of Love” by Sun Yung Shin and Mélina Mangal, through Lerner Publishing.

“Receiving the Trailblazer Alumni Award from �� is an incredible honor. My time there shaped the foundation of who I am as an artist and educator,” Barlow said. “I’m grateful to the mentors who saw something in me before I could fully see it in myself — and I carry that forward in how I support emerging artists today.

“This award is a very sweet acknowledgement and reminder of how far I’ve come, and an affirmation of the path I am on. Thank you to every teacher I had, the Honors Program, my roommates, coworkers, and all my friends and collaborators that made my time at Stout inspiring, generative and a whole lot of fun.”

Barlow is looking forward to “following the light and inspiration into my next body of work, Us, Becoming. I want to be fully present in the opportunities and blessings that are in motion and take advantage of any mistakes or rejections as time for reflection and slowness,” she said.

Building community through her art

Barlow has her B.F.A. in studio art from �� and earned her M.F.A. in drawing and painting from Minneapolis College of Art and Design in 2016.

“Ever since I met Leslie on my first day as a freshman at Stout, I’ve been inspired by her creativity, tenacity and thoughtfulness as an artist,” Riehle said. “Her drive and energy are infectious. Among our professors and peers, Leslie was well-known and respected. Her talent stood out, and her work sparked important conversations across campus.”

However, Barlow didn’t know she wanted to pursue a career in the arts or even what a contemporary artist was until she took art courses at ��. “My instructors were amazing, and the foundation classes helped me build the skills and cemented my love and desire for a path in studio art,” she said.

During her time at ��, Barlow co-founded Gallery 111 in downtown Menomonie with peers from the art and design department. She also reflected on the lack of representation for BIPOC people in art history, and on her own experience growing up mixed-race in Minneapolis. These themes would continue to evolve and gain depth in her later work.

“From the beginning, her work was thoughtful and evocative – exploring themes of race, identity, sexuality and the human body,” Riehle said.

Barlow found persistence to be her strength. Even at a time when she found herself needing to work four part-time jobs, she still squeezed in a few hours each week to work in the studio. “I made sure to make that time a priority. As long as you commit to your art, your art will show up for you,” she said.

For young students and visual artists, Barlow said, “Don’t wait for permission to make your work matter. Build community, stay curious, and remember that your lived experience is a valid source of knowledge and creative power. The arts aren’t just about aesthetics — they’re a tool for communication, reflection and change. Surround yourself with people who remind you of your purpose when things get tough.

“Collaboration and care have been central to my success: showing up with generosity, listening deeply, and working toward collective impact, not just individual recognition,” she added. “When things feel uncertain, I return to my ‘why.’ I reconnect with the people and communities I make work for and with — they ground me.”

Barlow has learned to trust slow growth and stays open to evolution, she said. “I’ve built a habit of reflection — checking in with myself and my values regularly — and that ��. helped me pivot when needed. Early on in my career, I said ‘yes’ to everything, out of fear that if I didn’t, I’d miss out or be left behind. Or I would guilt myself if I wanted to decline, because it felt like I wasn’t working hard enough. That led to burnout and confusion about what I was actually doing or what my art practice meant.

“The lesson: not every opportunity is meant for you, and ‘no’ can sometimes make space for other possibilities that are more in alignment, just around the corner. And downtime between projects and opportunities allows for the imagination to wander, and I’ve found is really necessary for the sustainability of my practice. Rest is part of the work,” Barlow said.

“I allow myself space to grieve, rest, or pause when needed, and I lean on my creative practice to process and reimagine. In uncertainty, I try to stay flexible but rooted in what keeps me curious and committed. An arts practice is uncertain and nonlinear, and that ��. part of the joy and the ride,” she added.

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'The arts aren’t just about aesthetics — they’re a tool for communication, reflection and change.' Alumni Awards, Leslie Barlow

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PHOTO ESSAY: A City Built of Art

goersab — Fri, 07 Mar 2025 15:15:00 +0000

PHOTO ESSAY: A City Built of Artgoersab March 7, 2025

Discover the far side of Chicago ��. history with students in a comics course

Abbey Goers

Photos by Erika Saindon and Mary Climes

Calvin and Hobbes. Batman. Snoopy. What comical, heroic or nostalgic characters spring into your mind with a * POW! * when you hear the word “comics?”

Does Chicago come to mind? If not, it should. Characters like Dick Tracy, Little Orphan Annie, Jimmy Corrigan and so many more were born in Chicago.

Between 1880 and 1960, the publishing industry in the Windy City played a large role in the development and transformation of comics as a legitimate art form.

To discover the rich historical and contemporary comics scene, 13 �� students ventured around the city as part of an inaugural faculty-led study away Comics in Chicago course, led by School of Art and Design Assistant Professor Mary Climes.

“My goal is for students to be immersed in the culture and history of one of the best comic cities in the world,” Climes said. “Each space we visit allows students to broaden their knowledge of comics, visual storytelling and illustration.”

Erika Saindon, of Albert Lea, Minn., has a concentration in comics and working in a Chicago gallery is her ultimate dream.

She joined her studio art peers, as well as graphic design, animation and illustration students on an eight-hour Amtrak ride from St. Paul to Chicago, spending a week in January visiting museums, cultural spaces, libraries, galleries and artist studios.

“When I first saw the city, I knew that this was the place for me,” Saindon said. “As a girl from a small town, you grow up realizing how undervalued art is.

“But in Chicago, there is art everywhere. Whether at different museums we visited, our daily outings or murals on buildings, like the nine-story mural of blues legend Muddy Waters. Chicago is entirely built of art and the artists in their communities.”

The class stayed in downtown Chicago, within walking distance of all their destinations, allowing them to take in the whole city, a new experience for Saindon.

They wandered through the Art Institute of Chicago, taking in centuries of artwork, including “Project a Black Planet: The Art and Culture of Panafrica,” exhibiting more than 350 works by artists from Africa, the Americas and Europe, spanning nearly a century of art.

In the museum ��. Prints and Drawing Study Collection, they viewed original comic pages and were lucky enough to look at some drawings unprotected by glass, as well as unfinished works before going to print.

A walk to Wicker Park led the class to a cache of bookstores, including a huge Barnes & Noble and Quimby ��., a local indie comics store – a favorite to many. They read comics set in and by Chicago cartoonists, including Chris Ware, Emil Ferris and Ivan Brunetti.

They saw lithography, relief, etching and screen print examples at Hoofprint press shop, and attended a risograph workshop at Spudnik Press, a community print studio, creating their own risograph printed comic books inspired by the city.

As a studio course, each student kept a daily diary of comic sketches and scientific illustrations. They spent time studying the wildlife exhibits and the vast collection of scientific illustrations at the Field Museum.

Saindon painted birds, bison and more with watercolors as visitors watched and walked around the museum.

The subway in the Latinx District was the most colorful subway she had ever seen. “Going to this part of Chicago was my all-time favorite part of the trip. Mostly because this is my culture, and I love it being celebrated and recognized, especially throughout art,” Saindon said.

She stayed warm basking among the tropical plants at the Garfield Park Conservatory, taking time to smell the roses and paint the bright colored flowers.

At the National Museum of Mexican Art, they visited Cecilia Beaven ��. exhibition “Semilla” (Seed). “Semilla” incorporated elements of Aztec mythology and Mexican folk art, with magical beings created through many mediums, even comics.

The class was graced in winter sunlight under the Preston Bradley Hall Tiffany Dome in the Chicago Cultural Center, formally the first Chicago Public Library. The massive translucent dome, spanning more than 1,000 square feet, is the largest Tiffany glass dome in the world. Its glass panels are cut in the shape of fish scales, adorned by the signs of the zodiac at the dome ��. peak.

They also visited the Harold Washington Library, the Newberry Library, the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Smart Museum of Art and the Renaissance Society.

Walking through Chinatown, they stopped for a bite to eat – steamed trays of dim sum piled high on the table was Saindon ��. favorite meal of the week.

They toured the neighborhoods of Hyde Park, West Town and Pilsen, visiting the Pilsen Arts and Community House.

Walking back to the hotel on the last night of their trip, the class stepped off the subway near the Chicago Theatre and strolled under the famous “CHICAGO” sign, illuminated in red and gold.

At Federal Plaza, they passed Alexander Calder ��. 53-foot-tall Flamingo sculpture – its red, elegant arcing neck sweeping downward to graze invisible shrimp off the pavement.

“Honestly, I don’t see how it would be a flamingo, but I guess it ��. up for interpretation. It was quite beautiful to see, especially at night,” said Saindon, who will graduate in spring 2027.

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Discover the far side of Chicago ��. history with students in a comics course Comics in Chicago course. Photo by Erika Saindon.

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Three years after graduating during COVID, alum returns for her B.F.A. thesis art exhibit

polingj — Mon, 23 Oct 2023 16:47:02 +0000

Three years after graduating during COVID, alum returns for her B.F.A. thesis art exhibitpolingj October 23, 2023

Gallery featuring Rice ��. work Oct. 23-27; professor who helped arrange it is exhibiting art at Minnesota gallery

At Gallery 209 in the Applied Arts Building at ��, studio art majors have a place to exhibit their best work.

Typically, they have a senior thesis exhibit as they approach graduation. Chloe Rice was looking forward to that opportunity in spring 2020, but it wasn’t a typical year. Because of COVID, she had to move on in her life, including no in-person commencement ceremony, without the exhibit.

Three and one-half years later, the week of Oct. 23-27, Rice has returned to close that loop in her education. Now an alum, she has a belated Bachelor of Fine Arts thesis show at Gallery 209 featuring more than a dozen pieces of her art. Also exhibiting is Kaylee Stoker, a senior from Marshfield.

Chloe Rice, a 2020 graduate, sets up her senior thesis exhibit, delayed by COVID, in Gallery 209 for the week of Oct. 23-27 at ��. / ��

COVID “made my graduation feel anti-climactic. I didn’t get to be on campus, which sort of isolated me (and I’m sure every student) from the Stout community. I’m really excited to showcase some of the work I’ve made since then. I’m proud to say that I’ve continued my practice and feel just as, if not more passionate, about growing in my art,” said Rice, whose studio art degree included a concentration in painting.

Rice, from Shoreview, Minn., stayed in touch with Professor Charles Matson Lume, who suggested that she return for her thesis exhibit and helped arrange it. Lume, coincidentally, has an exhibit through Friday, Nov. 10, at the Hutchinson Center for the Arts in Hutchinson, Minn., about an hour from where Rice lives.

Recently, Rice switched mediums from oil to watercolors. The exhibit will focus mainly on her new watercolor works. She is moving to Fort Wayne, Ind., with her fiancé, who has helped inspire her.

Chloe Rice, right, reviews some of her paintings while preparing her exhibit. / ��

“I made the conscious decision to master my craft. I believe this drive to create happened because two years ago I met my now-fiancé, who challenges me and is passionate about my art,” she said.

“Watercolors speak to the complexity and delicacy of the mind. Each thought and memory being interwoven into one blended soul. Invoking the spontaneity of life and the way we interact with the unexpected. The light is effortlessly otherworldly, and the colors are veils between mind and world. Crafting still lifes of self-portraits engulfed by symbols of nature. Showcasing the complex emotions one faces within a relationship and the gratitude one has to experience them.”

Painting has changed her self-perspective from someone who struggled with anxiety and lack of confidence to someone who is empowered. “To paint is to be confident, and confidence is not something I feel a majority of the time. But the confidence I do gain is from painting. My anxiety is forgotten, I trust my intuition and I feel as if I can do anything,” she said.

�� . School of Art and Design has six B.F.A. programs, Bachelor of Science degrees in arts administration and entrepreneurship and video production and a Master of Fine Arts in design.

Chloe Rice, from Shoreview, Minn., graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in studio art with a concentration in painting. She has transitioned from using oil to watercolors. / Contributed photo

“This whole experience has made me the person I am today, and I feel so lucky that I got to go to a school that values the arts, taught me valuable knowledge and gave me lifetime fellow artist friends,” she said.

Rice ��. thesis mentor was Lume, with whom she had several classes.

“Chloe was a remarkably gifted student who had a strong sense of determination and will. These elements are some of the reasons her paintings are successful. Painting is not for the faint of heart. Learning to paint is sometimes a long and complex apprenticeship,” Lume said.

“For me, it is easy to see why her paintings thrive and glimmer: they could only come from someone who has confidence in their capacities as an artist. I am sure that some of Chloe's best paintings are still in her and will be worth the wait, just like her belated B.F.A. thesis exhibition,” he said.

Professor Charles Matson Lume ��. exhibit “as if the sun (for Cid Corman)” runs through Nov. 10 in Hutchinson, Minn. / Contributed photo

Lume exhibit sheds light on poem, ordinary objects

Lume ��. exhibit “as if the sun (for Cid Corman)” in Hutchinson, Minn., continues his exploration of light as a way to reflect the impact of poetry using our physical world.

Cid Corman ��. writing was important to Lume when he was a young artist. “His short poems to me seemed fresh, clean and complex. They made the world sparkle like a jewel. Reading them 30 years later, they still shimmer,” Lume said.

Lume ��. exhibits are installations using common materials that reflect the light in the room. In Hutchinson, he uses a chair facing a window, orange price tag stickers, hologram tape, acetate, proofing paper, fabric with sequins and reflective tape.

The exhibit is an offshoot of another that Lume had this past summer, also using orange price tag stickers, as part of an international artist residency at the Bær Art Center in Hofsós, Iceland. The residency was during the midnight sun of the summer solstice on the edge of the Arctic Circle.

“In the ‘night,’ the sun did not dip below the horizon. The light was magical. The installation traced the pattern of daylight, made from the skylight, as it moved around my studio. The price tag stickers track eight hours of day,” Lume said.

In 2022, Lume won a worldwide Gottlieb Foundation of New York grant to further develop his light-based installations. Lume has worked directly with light as a material for 24 years and indirectly for 30 years. His work highlights the interplay and intersections of light and matter, allowing the matter — or objects that we encounter daily — to speak in a sense through their shadows and reflections.

In 2024, he will have a summer artist residency at Bloedel Reserve on Bainbridge Island, Wash. “I can't wait to discover the kind of light that is there,” he said.

###

At Gallery 209 in the Applied Arts Building at ��, studio art majors have a place to exhibit their best work. Chloe Rice 2

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We guide aspiring artists and designers to build theoretical and practical foundations, and encourage personal development in art, design, and the humanities.

Hero Caption: “Midnight Blooms” is one of Chloe Rice ��. paintings.

Charles Lume

Full Name: Charles Lume

Job Title: Professor of Art

Include in Directory: Yes

Area of Expertise: Art Painting Drawing Installation Art Professional Practices

College: College of Arts & Human Sciences

Department: School of Art & Design Visual & Performing Arts Department

Curriculum Vitae: Charles Lume CV (274.45 KB)

Education:

Degree: M.F.A. Painting/Drawing

University: University of Wisconsin- Madison

Degree: M.A. Painting/Drawing

University: University of Wisconsin- Madison

Degree: B.A. Psychology

University: Wheaton College

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�� students awarded competitive national scholarships for in-demand graphic communications field

goersab — Wed, 09 Aug 2023 16:52:37 +0000

�� students awarded competitive national scholarships for in-demand graphic communications fieldgoersab August 9, 2023

Real-world experiences on and off campus prepare students for industry in need of skilled graduates

Abbey Goers

Graphic communications is a major force in the economy, averaging more than 500 companies and 10,000 employees in every state and $1.8 billion in shipments each year, according to the Print and Graphics Scholarship Foundation.

“Some of the largest graphic communications-related employers worldwide are in the Midwest – in the Twin Cities, Fox Valley, Chicago, Milwaukee and Des Moines. �� is located centrally within this region and supplies the industry with qualified professionals,” said Chad Nyseth, graphic communications instructor and lab manager.

“�� and other graphic communications programs nationwide can’t supply enough graduates to fill available jobs. The industry, via organizations like PGSF, is stepping up efforts to educate students about potential careers, to support students with scholarships and internships, and to partner with institutions like ��,” he added.

To support students planning to enter the graphic communications field, the Print and Graphics Scholarship Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded in 1956, selected six �� students to receive awards totaling $26,930 for the 2023-24 academic year.

Recipients are:

Sam Huss, graphic communications, West Bend
Erika Jackett, graphic communications, Hubertus
Udit Patel, graphic communications, St. Paul
Cali Scholes, graphic communications, DeForest
Starr Gong, graphic design and interactive media, Altoona
Carrigan Heinz, studio art, with a graphic media and print management minor, Mondovi

This year, PGSF received more than 1,400 applications. It awarded 155 students from 83 institutions across the U.S., with an average scholarship of more than $3,600.

“Our recipients’ awards show that �� . graphic communications students are just as qualified and as worthy of recognition as students in the same major at much larger schools, like Clemson University or Cal Poly,” Nyseth said.

PGSF scholarships may be renewed for up to four years. Gong, Heinz and Scholes have been awarded multiple years.

Four �� students awarded national Print and Graphics scholarships

Four �� students are among 162 nationwide who have received renewable scholarships from the Print and Graphics Scholarship Foundation.

Preparing for a career through real-world experiences

Jackett is interning this summer at Push Solutions in New Berlin, working in many departments: prepress, design, digital, large format, customer service, kit packing, the bindery, estimating and purchasing, scheduling and more.

Erika Jackett / Erika Jackett

“The graphic communications program at Stout has absolutely prepared me for this internship by providing a base of knowledge, skills and experience to help me have the most productive internship that I can,” they said.

“The internship has helped me prepare for my career by providing me with real-world experience outside of the classroom and lab, which has only expanded my knowledge and skill base.”

The scholarship will allow Jackett to focus more on their education, instead of stressing about rent and other monthly expenses. They will graduate in May 2024 and want to work in production or prepress operation.

Jackett chose graphic communications because of their interest in graphics. “I love the process of taking an idea, doing all the design and layout work, and then being able to produce something tangible. Taking things from concept to reality through print is really enticing to me,” they said.

Career paths in a lively industry

Graphic communications students learn the foundational concepts and skills that they can apply to any career in the industry, including sales and marketing, product manufacturing, direct mail operations, package printing, traditional printing and digital communication, Nyseth said.

“Students use our lab equipment to apply and reinforce classroom concepts, solve problems, create products and manage complex projects. As they progress through their courses, they are increasingly exposed to potential roles, possible occupations and industry employers. And most students are amazed by the number of available career pathways,” he added.

Starr Gong, front right, in �� . Packaging Lab. / ��

Nyseth thinks the industry has had its work cut out for itself to dispel the notion that “print is dead.”

“Print isn’t dead. It ��. different. It ��. more diverse and technology driven than ever,” he said. “It ��. true that there are fewer magazines and newspapers printed today, yet nearly every product we see in a store is boxed with full-color printed packaging located under full-color printed store signage, then placed in a printed shopping bag and followed up at the register with a receipt and personalized printed coupons.

“Marketers use direct mail, printed billboards, brochures and online campaigns to drive consumers into brick-and-mortar stores and onto e-commerce websites. All of the above happens because of professionals who work in careers under the graphic communications umbrella,” he added.

Graphic communications graduates have a 100% employment rate or are continuing their education within six months of graduation, according to �� . Career Services First Destination report.

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PHOTO ESSAY: The Search for Orange

hallgrimsonr — Thu, 15 Jun 2023 16:06:12 +0000

PHOTO ESSAY: The Search for Orange hallgrimsonr June 15, 2023

Beauty is all around, yet not always found. Let's start with a new mural created by Stout students.

Rachel Hallgrimson

This story comes from the Graffiti and Street Art course taught by Cynthia Bland and Wade Lambrigtsen. Students learn the history and differences between graffiti and street art—one unsolicited and often considered vandalism and the other, a commissioned public work or one produced with the property owner ��. consent. This is about the second student-painted mural on Applied Arts. (You can read more about the first mural online.)

Imagine this: A pure blue sky, no clouds. Bright, hot sun with a nice breeze. It ��. 75 degrees and Lynyrd Skynyrd ��. "Sweet Home Alabama" is playing on someone ��. Bluetooth speaker. (Feel free to play it while you read.)

It's the perfect day to paint a mural.

When you think of a mural, what pops into your head?

Many are chipping off Main Street buildings in small Midwestern towns, but more are being painted on busy streets in large metro areas. In June 2022, Minneapolis added a new Prince mural near First Avenue.

Reader, we challenge you to keep your eyes on the lookout for the colorful moments of life.

While walking your dog. Getting lunch with friends. Shopping downtown. Keep looking!

Fourteen students from the summer Graffiti and Street Art course, co-led by Professor Cynthia Bland and Lecturer Wade Lambrigtsen, have painted a new mural next to the one from last summer on the east loading dock of the Applied Arts Building.

Wade is the owner and proprietor of Vintage Sign Shop in Menomonie and has been hiring �� students for 20 years. This is his second year co-leading the class, mentoring students as they learn the ways of mural painting.

This mural magnifies art minors, while the mural from last summer depicts art majors.

Every art student builds their major on a strong foundation of art principles. Adding a minor on top gives our students the boldness to stand out as they venture into their careers.

The final design was the winner of a school-wide mural design contest. It was a collaborative design by four graphic design students from Design Professor Erik Evensen's Digital Illustration course. *snaps*

And this year, Cynthia and Wade were given a budget to commission the designers—Cha-ching!

We hoped to squeeze out some inspiration from Wade with an interview, but he only got a few words in as he was repeatedly pulled away to assist students.

That was all the inspiration we needed. It ��. hard not to admire someone who invests so deeply in our students' growth.

Wade shared that the hardest part of the mural is first day. Students agreed, saying the most challenging part was the prep.

Clean. Prime. Stencil. Project. Trace.

Student and mural painter Lainey Weix compared it to an artist getting to know their canvas.

Once the wall is prepped, Wade said the rest is “gravy.”

Sure, murals are kinda neat. But, what ��. the point?

Beauty. Community. Creativity. Storytelling.

A mural doesn’t sit quietly and wait for someone to see and admire it. It speaks all day, everyday to the passersby, the birds, the wind. It ��. always communicating something.

The student muralists are telling the colorful and exciting story of what goes on inside the building on the outside.

In this case, they're giving everyone the chance to judge the book by its cover, because the cover is interesting and beautiful. Our art and design students are vibrant, professional, hardworking and creative.

If these deep greens and oranges don’t speak to you…we've just got more painting to do.

The week scheduled for painting truly was a gift from the mural gods. Low humidity, sunny and a nice breeze. While that sounds delightful, the painters were standing, backs, legs and necks to the sun. The risk of sunburn was real.

To be more efficient on the wall, the class was split up in two groups each day: morning and afternoon.

However, students always stayed later than they should have because they loved it. Lainey and fellow painter Jordan Miinch said the entire painting process was full of joy. Once everyone found their “flow,” it was smooth sailing.

Since the completion of the first mural, everyone's been dreaming about the next campus canvas.

Jasmyn Sellner, a graphic design major and mural painter, said the Communication Technologies building would be a strong candidate since it gets overlooked sitting next to Bowman and Harvey Hall.

Art students, naturally, want more art in the Applied Arts building. If the outside says “artists are here,” the inside should scream it.

When you work on a mural, everyone finds their place.

Some people discover their strength in pulling long lines of paint with precision, while others discover it in perfecting the details. Some painters even went freehand.

It's a privilege to paint a mural. Helping create something that will outlast you is a special thing. A student from last summer's course, Camile Lemm, was awakened to the excitement of murals and is now working at the Vintage Sign Shop as Wade's apprentice.

Who said painting on walls wasn't a solid career choice? (Sorry, Mom.)

Despite how exciting we describe mural painting, not everyone thinks art provides a clear career path.

There are more than 10 million colors to ponder when looking for the perfect hue, tint or shade. How does an artist choose the color that will produce the feeling they intend?

Cue the magic.

Curious about color choice during the first mural, Cynthia asked the designer, “How did you come up with this orange?” The student said she went to the backside of the building during sunset, and the building was slowly being swallowed by a deep peachy glow.

Imagine what would be lost if we didn't have artists. The world would be very boring indeed.

A good mural, Cynthia teaches, includes a message that can be understood by kids, and your grandmother.

They need to keep fresh. The message requires longevity to stay interesting for years to come.

That's not something we're accustomed to these days, are we? Culture seems to float from one trend to another, leaving behind what was all the rage two months ago to be put in the "this will be vintage in 10 years" compost bin.

Next year, the plan is to finish painting the rest of the loading dock.

Students from any major can sign up for the class, which is a neat opportunity for non-art students to experience art in a fun, community-centered and hands-on way.

We're not posting a finished photo so that you can experience the mural in person--how it should be experienced.

Join us on campus and check it out. Look at the fine details. Pick out your favorite part. Which color do you like best?

Look for the beauty.

Look for the flowers, the colors of a sunset, the shape of a cloud, or a local mural. Start literally anywhere.

What do they say? Just listen.

You might find the orange you've been looking for.

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Students from the summer Graffiti and Street Art course painted a mural that magnifies Stout's art and design degree minors. 1cam9055.jpg

Street Art and Graffiti course students to paint mural on Applied Arts Building

Wall 40 feet long will feature design by four students and be unveiled at public event on June 2

Vintage Sign Shop

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Cynthia Bland

Teaching Interests: Art and Controversy, Modern, 19th Century, Art Since 1950, Japanese Art

Research Interests: Romanticism, Eugene Delacroix, George Sand

Full Name: Dr. Cynthia Bland

Job Title: Professor

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College: College of Arts & Human Sciences

Department: School of Art & Design Visual & Performing Arts Department

Curriculum Vitae: CV Fall 2026 (38.41 KB)

Education:

Degree: Ph.D. Art History

University: University of Iowa

Degree: M.A. Art History

University: University of Iowa

Degree: B.A. Art History and Theology

University: University of St. Thomas

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Inspiring Graduate: M. Hampton, B.F.A. Studio Art

goersab — Tue, 30 May 2023 18:31:13 +0000

Inspiring Graduate: M. Hampton, B.F.A. Studio Artgoersab May 30, 2023

'I’ve learned to be a professional artist with a professional practice.'

Inspiring Graduate: M Hampton (’23)

Hometown: Ramsey, Minn.
Degree: Studio Art, with a concentration in Contemporary Sculptural Practices

First-generation student M Hampton switched their major from art education during the global pandemic to pursue a BFA in studio art.

“It has been a whirlwind of catching up. I failed a few classes, I retook classes and here I am. Slow and steady wins the race,” said Hampton, who will soon be married.

They earned their studio art degree from �� on May 6, along with 1,173 graduates.

Hampton will take a year off school and is looking into MFA programs near the Twin Cities. They would like to teach at the college level.

Inspiring Graduate M Hampton and Chancellor Katherine Frank at commencement / ��

“The ouroboros of education strikes again, learning to then teach the new teachers how to learn to teach,” they said.

“How has my �� education and experience changed me? I grew up. That ��. the best way to say it – I grew up. I learned to take some agency and responsibility for my choices, and I made a real name for myself here,” Hampton said.

“Hampton brings a unique perspective to their art in and out of the classroom and studio,” said Resident Life Coordinator Sarah Eastman-Frazier, who worked with Hampton when they served as a resident adviser this past year.

How has �� prepared you to work in your field?

I have actual experience in making. I have an actual practice now. I can sit down and do a painting that would have taken me weeks in high school in an hour. I’m most proud of my ability to make.

I’ve learned to be a professional artist with a professional practice. I’ve got some shows on my resume and can finally go and get into the Walker (wishful thinking).

I received a student research grant for my solo BFA thesis exhibition – two big honors. I wouldn’t have had anywhere near as successful of a senior thesis exhibition without that grant.

The constant discussion in the Applied Arts Building between me and other students has made me both a powerful network and a consistent practice.

M Hampton and Professor Tim Tozer at commencement / ��

What stands out about your �� experience?

Professors Kelly O’Brien, Darren Tesar and Brandon Cramm have put so much information into my head that it isn’t even fair. They’ve been nothing but helpful, they’ve made it all worth it.

Deano Samens and Doug Stodola in the Process Lab have been fantastic. They know the answers to any question you have and were so kind to me and gave me nice plywood to use for class.

I’ve also always wanted to wear the Blaze suit. I hope that by putting this here somebody lets me run around wearing the head for a minute (even more wishful thinking).

I am going to miss the MSC pizza.

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'I’ve learned to be a professional artist with a professional practice.' M Hampton, 1

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Three commencement ceremonies on May 6 at �� celebrated the progress, perseverance and success of 1,173 graduates.

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Brush with fame: Tozer paints in semifinals of U.K. portrait reality show

polingj — Wed, 14 Dec 2022 17:38:08 +0000

Brush with fame: Tozer paints in semifinals of U.K. portrait reality showpolingj December 14, 2022

Art professor stands out during popular national competition in his native country

As an assistant professor of art at �� for the past 13 years, Tim Tozer has spent many an hour in the classroom observing and commenting on the work of his students.

The professor, who has exhibited his art in five U.S. states and in the United Kingdom, put himself in his students’ shoes recently. He opened up his own creative process for critique when he appeared on one of the U.K. ��. most popular reality shows: Portrait Artist of the Year. Except the stakes were a bit higher: professional judges, television cameras and eventually an audience of six million people.

One of 63 artists chosen out of more than 2,000 applicants, he won one of the opening rounds of competition and advanced to the final eight, making the experience in his home country a memorable one. “I don’t see myself as a champion painter now, but it ��. nice to know your work speaks to more than just the few people you know. It gives you confidence to keep pushing,” he said.

A self-portrait by Tozer, a native of England, was part of his application to be on Portrait Artist of the Year, a United Kingdom TV reality show. / Contributed photo

The ninth season of the Sky Arts program, filmed last spring, aired this fall in the U.K. Tozer appears in the episode three elimination heat and the episode 8 semifinal with competing artists, who had to be U.K. natives and were required to paint a portrait of a sitting celebrity subject from scratch in four hours.

Tozer, born in Portsmouth, England, had watched the show for years and always thought he’d like to give it a try. He teaches Drawing I and II, which have elements of portraiture, at �� and is director of the studio art undergraduate program.

“I had no expectation of getting on the show but thought I’d throw my hat in the ring and see what happened,” he said, recounting how he submitted a self-portrait as part of the application process, received a call from the show, was interviewed and subsequently invited.

Tozer poses on the set of Portrait Artist of the Year with his painting of musician Suggs that won an opening round of the televised competition. / Contributed photo

In Tozer ��. first round, he painted a subject he was familiar with, Graham McPherson, also known as Suggs, lead singer for the British 1970s-1990s pop band Madness. While Tozer wasn’t totally pleased with the final product — he’d have tweaked the face with more time — he showed delight when making the cutdown from eight to three and then being named the heat winner. “I was stoked to win one of the heats. It felt great.”

In the midst of the spring semester at ��, he had to book another flight to England for the semifinal. It was held in London ��. Battersea Arts Centre Grand Hall where everyone painted British singer Rebecca Ferguson, who took a seat looking royal in a green, sequined gown with a gold, purple and blue backdrop.

Cameras, including a time-lapse above each artist, recorded their every brush stroke as judges moved around the room, talked with them and discussed their progress. Like in the first round, Tozer also had family in the small audience.

One judge commented that Tozer, whose portrait of Ferguson for a while seemed a jumble of brush strokes, was struggling. Tozer said it was true in a sense because he didn’t like the colors of the set and Ferguson was about 25 feet away.

Tozer smiles upon learning that his semifinals portrait of Rebecca Ferguson was chosen by Ferguson to keep from the group of eight paintings. / Contributed photo

However, he embraces struggle when he paints. “I think in a way the second painting was better because I didn’t know what I was doing quite as much. I don’t trust it unless I’m struggling a bit. It ��. got to require something of me,” he said.

While some of the semifinalists worked from close-up photos on iPads that they took of Ferguson, Tozer painted what he saw — a figure more distant, one in which the face didn’t appear until the very end. With the head being quite small, he had to make some very accurate final brush strokes.

“I thought, my God, I’m splitting the atom here. I use quite big brushes,” he said of putting the final touches on the face. “It was kind of nice to keep everyone guessing until the end.”

Although he didn’t make the top three for the final show, he did leave with a bit of vindication. Ferguson was given her choice of one of the semifinalists’ paintings, and she chose Tozer ��.. In the first round, McPherson also had his choice of the three (of eight) artists who painted him and chose Tozer ��..

Tozer, who has taught at �� for 13 years, observes one of his students working in the Drawing I class. / ��

Tozer enjoyed the collegiality of painting with a variety of other artists, seeing their creative processes, and the out-of-the-box challenge that turned a generally solo pursuit into a mini-art festival. The season 9 winner received a £10,000 commission ($12,150) to paint Sir Lenny Henry, an actor, singer and comedian, for London ��. National Portrait Gallery.

“You’re doing a totally insane thing, painting a portrait in four hours on TV. To do it is enough, let alone to beat someone else. That was one of the best bits, meeting the other people. Everyone was extremely supportive. It was a good atmosphere, like the opposite of a competition,” he said.

With the show having aired, he ��. hearing from old friends, has picked up many more followers on his Instagram account and accepted an offer to teach an art workshop next summer on the coast of England.

Tozer isn’t a portrait specialist. He also regularly does abstract paintings. After focusing on portraits before the show — including four-hour practice paintings of his son and daughter — during and after, he ��. ready to take a break from them.

“I try to do two different things in my work so I don’t get stuck in any one. I don’t have to choose. That ��. why I’m an artist, the freedom,” he said, adding that the processes of creating a portrait and an abstract piece aren’t as dissimilar as they seem.

He ��. preparing new work for a Groveland Gallery show in Minneapolis in 2023, where he has art for sale, and is wrapping up work with his students in two sections of Drawing 1 this semester.

He calls painting “really fulfilling. There ��. nothing I’d rather do.” He equally enjoys teaching art. “We have some amazingly talented students. I can throw them a crumb and they just run with it. I never get tired of it.”

Tozer earned a Master of Fine Arts in painting from the New York Academy of Art after receiving the prestigious Andy Warhol Scholarship. He has a bachelor ��. degree in fine art from the University of Ulster at Belfast, Northern Ireland.

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As an assistant professor of art at �� for the past 13 years, Tim Tozer has spent many an hour in the classroom observing art being created. Tozer Suggs

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Hero Caption: Assistant Professor Tim Tozer talks in his Drawing 1 course at ��.

Tim Tozer

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